Witness recounts moment tree crashed onto car, killing four on old KL-Bentong road

PETALING JAYA – A woman has shared her account of the tree-fall tragedy that claimed four lives, including Maran UMNO Youth chief Mohd. Radzi Rahimi, along Jalan Lama Kuala Lumpur-Bentong yesterday.

The woman, known as Rosida, said she was in a vehicle behind the Ford Raptor when the incident happened.

She said that before the tree came down, small rocks and soil had been falling from the hill slope beside the road.

"Behind the Ford Raptor there was another car and then my car. At that moment we were talking about landslides in the area.

"My young child was reading out the Ford Raptor's registration number when suddenly the tree fell and crushed the vehicle," she said in a comment on TikTok. (Translated from Malay.)

Rosida said the tree fell without warning and struck the vehicle with a loud bang. She and her family had no idea the tree was unstable or about to topple.

"The tree came down from the side of the hill. Before the incident, there was soil or small rocks falling from the hill.

"Then suddenly the tree just fell and crushed the car with a loud bang," she said.

She also expressed relief that her own vehicle was spared. "Thank you, God, for giving us another chance," she said.

Earlier reports said Mohd. Radzi Rahimi, 35, died along with his wife Nuriani Mohammad Jafri, 36; their son Muhammad Rizz Hazim, five; and his brother-in-law Mohammad Nizam, 40.

All were in the Ford Raptor that was crushed by the tree on Jalan Lama Kuala Lumpur heading towards the Janda Baik archway, in the incident at about 12.30pm.

Another son of the couple, Muhammad Rizz Haziq, five, believed to be the twin of the boy who died, survived and was taken to Hospital Bentong for treatment.